Police believe 31-year-old Kimberly Ann McLaughlin may have fallen asleep at the wheel before the crash that killed her and her 3-year-old son and the child's father Wednesday afternoon in Butler County.

Two other children were injured when the van crossed the center line of Route 173 in Brady Township, near Duffy Road, before going airborne and crashing into a tree. (Scene photos: 3 killed, 2 children injured in van crash)

Related Content

George McLaughlin said his 11-year-old granddaughter was in the back seat and called them minutes after the crash.

"She goes, 'Grandma, mommy passed out, she wrecked the van. I'm bleeding and we're hurt. Come and get us. I want to come with you guys," McLaughlin said.

Terry Wayne Cramer Jr. was in the front passenger seat, but police say he was not wearing a seatbelt. He and McLaughlin were pronounced dead at the scene. According to police, Wednesday was Cramer's 42nd birthday.

Two toddlers were riding in the second row of seats, police said. Terry Cramer III, 3, was pronounced dead at a Butler hospital. Emily Cramer, 1, suffered critical injuries and remains in a coma at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

"She's a fighter. When you see her laying there you can see she's fighting to stay with us. But it's up to God what he wants to do," McLaughlin said.

Police said Terry and Emily were in proper child restraints in the vehicle. A fifth passenger, McLaughlin's 11-year-old daughter was riding in the back seat, and was in stable condition at Children's Hospital.

Police said McLaughlin was the mother of all the children. Cramer was the father of Emily and Terry.

"He was a pistol, he was good," McLaughlin said, remembering his only grandson. "They were just normal kids. They enjoyed their life and they always wanted to be doing something, go somewhere."